[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text dp_text_size=”size-4″]ISLAMABAD: Lal Masjid’s Maulana Abdul Aziz escaped arrest on Wednesday as his guards resisted the police party when he emerged from the mosque after performing Zuhr prayers, despite the authorities’ ban on him.
Soon after, female Jamia Hafsa students blocked multiple routes, including Jinnah Avenue and the bridge near Kulsoom Plaza, to protest the cleric’s attempted arrest.
Confusion and lack of clarity lingered throughout the episode, as statements and stories from both the police and the Lal Masjid failed to answer various points.
Lal Masjid, located in the heart of the capital city, rose to prominence when then-military ruler Gen Pervez Musharraf launched a full-fledged military offensive in July 2007.
A top source from the capital administration told Dawn that a team from the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) had gone to Lal Masjid to speak with the Maulana and ask him to present himself for clarification on various issues.
Among the questions were his reappearance as khateeb (prayer leader) in Lal Masjid despite the fact that he had retired and been replaced, as well as his attempts to seize ownership of the adjoining plot of the old children’s library, among other things.
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However, the official did not explain how Maulana Abdul Aziz got to Jamia Hafsa in G-7 or why the CTD teams were unable to stop him.
Meanwhile, Maulana Abdul Aziz released a video message on social media in which he detailed how he was arrested as soon as he left Lal Masjid after leading Zuhr prayers.
“Two CTD vehicles pursued me and stopped my car, and then several personnel came out and attempted to arrest me; they fired at us, resulting in a fight.” “I got hurt; you can see my car, but my gun didn’t fire,” Maulana Aziz said, adding that four to five CTD officers grabbed him and pushed him down.
“I was injured, but with the help of divine strength, I grabbed one of the personnel’s guns and began firing.” Meanwhile, a large crowd gathered, giving me the opportunity to flee,” Maulana explained.
He claimed that despite his injuries, he was able to reach Jamia Hafsa.
His car was spotted parked on the Kulsoom Plaza bridge on 7th Avenue, with bullet holes in the glass.
Following the event, Umme Hasaan, Maulana Abdul Aziz’s wife, delivered fiery statements.
In a later video message, Umme Hasaan stated that the Maulana fired several rounds at the CTD team, causing crossfire. After his AK-47 ran out of rounds, he was pinned down by CTD personnel. He was able to break free, however, and with the assistance of locals, he arrived in Jamia Hafsa in G-7.
In her video appeal, she even asked the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for assistance, pleading with them not to remain silent.
Jamia Hafsa students, on the other side, protested by blocking highways, particularly Jinnah Avenue. Senior police officials in Islamabad tried numerous times to talk them out of protesting.
During the protest, seminary students used sticks to beat female constables. However, by the evening, all routes had been cleared.
The police did not arrest any protesters, but they did file FIRs late Wednesday night against three Maulana Abdul Aziz guards who had been detained by the CTD.
A top official with the capital police told Dawn that all shots fired at the Maulana’s car were fired from inside by the vehicle’s occupant.
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